New curator for growing ATCA archives at Ohio State

New curator for growing ATCA archives at Ohio State

The ATCA archives in the Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute at The Ohio State University have a new curator, Dr. Beth Kattelman. She succeeds long-time curator Nena Couch who has stepped up to Director of Special Collections at OSU’s newly-renovated Thompson Library.

The Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute (TRI) was created by playwrights Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee (Inherit the Wind, Auntie Mame, Look Ma, I’m Dancin’!, First Monday in October). Couch remains Curator of TRI but specific responsibilities for the ATCA archives have passed to Kattelman, who also teaches in OSU’s Dept. of Theatre. We extend our thanks to Couch, who nurtured the ATCA archives for more than two decades and always asked for more.

The ATCA archives consist of ATCA items and personal items from ATCA members. Association items include minutes and records, review clips submitted for new membership and renewals, programs/materials from conferences and mini-meetings, etc. Personal items are collections of tear sheets, broadcast clips, programs, photos, etc. donated by individual members, each of which constitutes a specific mini-archive.

Dr. Kattelman welcomes inquiries from ATCA members and the donation of worthwhile materials. Many members have made contributions, starting with the papers of founder Henry Hewes. Contact Kattelman at:

The Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute,
 The Ohio State University, 
119 Thompson Library,
 1858 Neil Avenue Mall,
 Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-6614 (phone), 614-688-8417 (fax)
Curator Nena Couch
Associate Curator Beth Kattelman
Assistant Curator Orville Martin
Director Mary Tarantino

From the TRI website (http://library.osu.edu/find/collections/theatre-research-institute):

The Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute serves as an archive for performers, playwrights, choreographers, designers, producing organizations, and theatre and dance companies, among others, and advances the study and inspiration of the performing arts. In association with the Department of Theatre, the Institute acquires, preserves, and makes accessible materials documenting the performing arts for the purposes of scholarship, education, and enjoyment; provides an active teaching component; serves as a source for new works creation, development, and reconstruction; and enriches patrons’ experiences of these materials which reveal our performing arts culture and history. Our collections include personal papers; organizational archives; costume, scene, lighting designs, and technical theatre documentation; costumes; models of stage sets and theatres; photographs; posters; artwork; film, videotape and sound recordings; realia; and other types of documentation.